SA Rocks

The unique beat of South Africa was felt in last night’s INDABA 2009 opening ceremony, culminating in a message sent around the world that South Africa was ready for the 2010 World Cup – “We are Ready!” was echoed throughout the ICC in Durban. The collective anticipation of the 2010 World Cup exuded passion and exuberance, as the official South African Tourism 2010 TV ad was launched.

After the opening ceremony, the INDABA delegates kicked into party mode at the Beach party on Durban beach. Performers from the Drum Café got the partygoers dancing and even the driving rain couldn’t dampen the festivities.

Global Media Face-off

This morning, Richard Quest – host of CNN’s “Quest Means Business” – opened the Global Media Face-off with the words; “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. An accurate description of the excitement of the impending 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM and the effect of the global economic downturn on the South African economy.

These topics were the focus of the session, which featured panelists including Danny Jordaan, FIFA 2010 Local Organising Committee CEO and Monhla Hlahla, Airports Company CEO.

Quest vowed to keep the panel open and transparent telling the media that no topic was off limits. He readied the panelists with some questions of his own and then opened up the floor. The response was enthusiastic and tough questions were asked around the potential security issues, transport readiness and comparisons with the 2006 FIFA World Cup^TM in Germany.

Horst Schmidt, consultant to FIFA and general secretary of the German Football Association described how the World Cup in Germany united the East and West and changed the global perceptions towards the country. He expressed his belief that next year’s event would do the same for South Africa.

Throughout the session, Quest kept true to his word, deftly ensuring the panelists satisfied the media’s questions and concerns. This was made clear when he asked the audience to put up their hands if they believed the 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM would be a success – the room was filled with raised hands, whistles and applause.

It is clear that the global media agrees with the words of Carol Manana from last night’s opening ceremony – “It is Africa’s time to shine, Ke Nako!”

Visit the INDABA 2009 blog for more

Popularity: 9% [?]

Tim and Bruce are cycling across Africa in the Tour ‘d Afrique race from Cairo to Cape Town. They started on the 9th Jan 2009 and are due to finish on the 9th May. They are trying to race funds for a charity to build 2 classrooms for a rural school in the Eastern Cape, so far they’ve raised R150,000 out of the R180,000 which they need. Below is their recent report back on their Namibian leg:

25 April to 2 May

Distance: 998km

Highlights: Namibian landscapes

Read our daily diary here…

We’re almost home!

We’re buggered!

And you‘ve helped raise R150,000 for Hebron School!

Almost four months ago, on the 10^th of January, we left Cairo clean-shaven and full of energy, ready for an adventure of a lifetime and the challenge of riding a bicycle Every Fuckking Inch (EFI) down the length of Africa.

While we’ve battled sickness, injury and the elements over the past 11 100km, the last few days in Namibia have been amazing and undoubtedly the highlight of the Tour, and just what we needed to motivate us in this final stretch. The scenery has been breathtaking, the cool weather near-perfect for riding, and the off-road sections challenging but loads of fun.

From Windhoek we headed South-East on famed hard-pact Namibian dirt and took two days to get to Sessriem, the gateway to the magnificent Mars-like sand-dunes of Sossusvlei where we had a day’s rest and a chance to watch a magnificent sunrise from atop Dune 45.

Leaving Sossusvlei we kept the Namib Dessert on our right and enjoyed two days of the most unforgettable riding of the whole Tour as leaping Springboks and the ever-changing painting-like landscapes of the Namib Rand Reserve kept us company on the challenging dirt roads.

Passing through various small towns famous for Apple Crumble, we eventually found ourselves at the grand Fish River Canyon for a night, and from there it was just the small matter of a 176km day to the Orange River for our final rest day before the last six days to Cape Town.

At this stage it’s hard for us to gain perspective on just how incredible this experience has been, but with the end in sight the realisation of transversing Africa by bicycle is only now just beginning to sink in, and along with it, the sense that we’re about to complete something quite special.

With R150,000 raised through your generosity and some sizeable donations from both corporates and private individuals, we’re also incredibly close to reaching our R180 000 target for Hebron School, so thank you again for being part of this worthy cause.

By the time you read this we will have crossed the Orange River and begun a six-day bike ride to the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town where champagne and celebrations await. We’re expected to arrive on Saturday 9 May at around 2.30pm** near Quay 4, and if you’re in the area we would love to see you there to join in the festivities!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Tim and Bruce are cycling across Africa in the Tour ‘d Afrique race from Cairo to Cape Town. They started on the 9th Jan 2009 and are due to finish on the 9th May. They are trying to race funds for a charity to build 2 classrooms for a rural school in the Eastern Cape, so far they’ve raised R140,000 out of the R180,000 which they need. Below is their recent report back on their Botswana leg:

Explosive diarrhoea… done.
Cracked ribs… done.
Bacterial illness Giardia***… done.
Worm infection… done.
Bloody wipeout… done.
10 000km… done!

Botswana marked the eighth country in our charitable biking adventure started over three months ago, and with only 13 riding days left from Windhoek until we ride into Cape Town on 9 May, we’re unbelievably close to the end, as well as being pretty buggered.

Botswana was tough. Tough because the forecasted tailwinds were mainly headwinds. Tough because on average we rode 162km each day. Tough because the roads were boringly flat. And tough because we had the longest day of the whole Tour there – a 207km beast.

Botswana was also magical though. Magical because of all the wide open bush. Magical because of the cool mornings. Magical because of the ocean-blue skies. Magical because of the elephants. And magical because of the deep red sunsets each night.

Botswana also threw us some curve balls health-wise. Bruce battled through bouts of explosive diarrhoea and terrible stomach pain on a daily basis, courtesy of a nasty bacterial infection called Giardia. A doctor was seen in Maun, heavy antibiotics were prescribed, and the lad with the Rhino-sized legs is finally on the mend. As for myself, the worm I picked up in Zambia on the sole of my foot kept me company for a little longer than expected, and the blood blister it formed had to be lanced and drained a few times after the longer days.

Health issues dealt with, we’re both in great spirits this wet Windhoek morning as we nurse stiff legs and sore asses on a much-needed rest day. The past two day’s riding in Namibia have been long and hard thanks to headwinds, but by the time you read this, we would have turned South on dirt roads where some challenging stages await us as we take 8 days to get to the South African border.

It really does feel like we’re in the homestretch now, but with some 1700km still to go and with R40,000 still to raise for Hebron School, we’ve still got a long way to go before this adventure comes to an end.

As always, thanks to those who have already donated and thanks to those who continue to support us and this cause by spreading the word far and wide.

For a detailed look into the ups and downs of our lives over this last section and the drama of the International Team Time Trial, check out our daily diary (link here) and gallery (link here).

Popularity: 6% [?]

A characteristic that South Africans share with Americans the desire to tell everyone about what we’re best at (rugby, for one, but let’s not even get into that conversation!). The tallest this, the biggest that, the longest so-and-so, the deepest watchamacallit, the oldest thingamabob – you name it, we will find a category in which ours is the best. But somehow you often find yourself wondering if these are just patriotic urban legends, and that the thingamabob is only the oldest if you don’t look too hard in the rest of the world…

So it’s nice sometimes when the world confirms our general fabulousness and a South African product, person or event is honoured among the globally recognised best in the world. This was the case when the 2009 S.Pellegrino World’s Top 100 Restaurants were recently announced – and there were more South African restaurants in the top 100 than ever before!

The S.Pellegrino awards have been going for 8 years. To arrive
at this year’s results a total of 4,185 votes will have been cast by 837 restaurant experts – all well-travelled restaurant commentators, chefs or restaurateurs. Emanating from a unique polling of world’s best travelled and most polished palates the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards has proved itself time and again to be an insightful barometer of culinary trends.

So which South African restaurants feature?

* Le Quartier Francais at no. 37 (up 13 places, and at least its 6th appearance on the list)
* La Colombe at no. 38 (re-entry into the top 100 from 2006)
* Jardine at no. 79 (up 14 places!)
* Aubergine at no. 96 (new entry)
* Rust en Vrede at no. 98 (new entry)

Given the fact that there are only 18 restaurants in the Top 100 from countries outside Europe and the USA (and only 2 from Australia!), I think that’s pretty impressive, and proves that we really have upped our culinary game to compete on a world stage.

And the good news does not end there – apparently all the restaurants in the top 50 have been persuaded to donate a meal for two to be auctioned off on EBay in aid of Action Against Hunger – check out the details here.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Ed’s note: This post is a contribution from an overseas reader, Jeanine Wardman. Thank you for the intriguing view of South Africa that you present, Jeanine.

Oxford, England

April 2009

To President Zuma, and for my children

South Africa, I tell my children, dear Mr Zuma, is incurably complex and endlessly exciting, in one thrilling instant.

It is, I tell them often, a country in which the world comes together, quite literally – a kind of global microcosm or experiment, even; a place that persistently challenges, and that redefines notions of nationhood and politicises identity, perhaps like no other.

To those who call it home, it offers the opportunity to touch and be touched by lives vastly different to one’s own, every day anew. That, I tell them – its ravishing beauty and abundance of opportunity aside – is their most precious birthright.

My children know the country of their birth is in some ways the custodian of humanity’s greatest hopes and grandest dreams.

However, if there is one particular kind of agony I’d like to spare my offspring in the years following their coming of age, dear Mr Zuma, it is that of pondering their South Africanness – in the manner of the palpable torment contained in those immortal titles Cry The Beloved Country, Country of My Skull, My Traitor’s Heart and others. The source of agony has of course been eradicated, yes. And we have great South African freedom fighters such as yourself to praise and honour and forever thank for this. But will you concede, Mr Zuma, that South Africa is still lamented, still agonised over? At least by some, then? Many even.

Her political future is uncertain, her moral standing is tarnished, and her citizens are systematically traumatised by an all-consuming fear of violent, mindless crime. Perhaps even more despairingly, countless more are ravaged by squalor and hopelessness.

Yes, the country is in the throes, still, of redefining itself, of transition and transformation. Yes, decades of institutionalised discrimination can’t be without consequence. Yes, yes and another irrevocable, unconditional yes.

But where does all this rationalising, defeatism even, leave our children, Mr Zuma; or the Pakatis’ of Kayamandi; or the Reids’ of Constantia; or the Steenkamps’ of the Strand?

As a hopelessly patriotic South African, I cling fiercely to the hope that my children’s relationship with the place of their birth will, one day, be less fraught than mine; less ambivalent, or at least that their citizenship will be less confounding a label to bear.

I am telling my children that their soon-to-be president is a populist of Zulu ethnicity – a man of the people and of humble beginnings; an illustrious and brave liberation hero who sacrificed greatly for the very people he now serves, for the only country he’ll ever love.

And that you sing of machine guns and win hordes of their countrymen’s hearts and minds in so doing…

If only our country was less strange, Mr Zuma.

The media and other critics cast you as a man of dubious moral character and are doubtful history will have much to say to our children’s generation about your leadership and tenure, when the time comes. Others reserve judgment and reckon you to be a pragmatist, a realist even – approachable in a way your predecessor wasn’t – and that all is far from lost.

The polemicist Christopher Hitchens has made the considered observation that, to paraphrase, great leaders do not have to be above and beyond moral reproach in order to lead greatly or even teach lessons of vast moral magnitude, citing the example of Dr Martin Luther King, his problematic personal life, and his monumental role in the American civil rights movement.

What shall I say to my children of your intended legacy, Mr Zuma?

Will we, their guardians and those we entrust, make haste and effort and spare them the anguish, the exhaustion – of being from and of a place destined for greatness, but that forever fumbles in claiming such providence?

Will you, President Zuma, make this your gift to give?

Will their country meet our beautifully unburdened, always joyful children, when the time comes for them to be of age, as an eternal companion striding tall and gracefully alongside … ever-present, but never in need of carrying?

Will the beloved country ever not be cried over, Mr Zuma?

Yours faithfully,

Jeanine Wardman

Popularity: 6% [?]

It was during lunch in Skukuza at a restaurant overlooking the Sabie River listening to the teeth-grinding, mind-numbing monologue of the woman sitting next to me that I was hit with the sudden realization of how lucky I am to live in this country. Whilst the said woman bemoaned the ‘state’ of the nation at the top of her voice, making the crocodile-infested river seem suddenly appealing, I forced myself to focus exclusively on the scene in front of me.

Where else in the world, four hours outside of a major city, can you have lunch at a restaurant overlooking a river where a lone bull elephant comes to take a dip in front of you, accompanied by a Hippo and a bloated crocodile? With the Sunday papers in front of me screaming headlines of doom and gloom: Zuma, the NPA, Julius Malema, Crime, Elections and all the concerns of daily life in South Africa for that perfect moment seemed extremely unimportant. For those few minutes I breathed in the beauty of my surroundings and focused on all that is awe-inspiring in South Africa, which no place else in the world can offer.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Tim and Bruce are cycling from Cairo to Cape Town on the Tour ‘d Afrique, they started on the 10th January and should be coming into Cape Town on the 9th May. They are trying to raise R180,000 to build 2 classrooms for a rural school in the Eastern Cape, you can view their website here – below is their latest adventure:

Lilongwe to Victoria Falls (2 April to 12 April)

Distance: 1216km

Highlights: Victoria Falls Hotel!!!

Greetings from the magnificent Victoria Falls and the bustling tourist town of Livingstone in Zambia. The past 10 days riding in Zambia have been long and tough and the legs and bodies are seriously fatigued… 

Because we were challenged many times over by many long days in this stretch of the Tour, we’ve decided to mix things up a bit and rather than a summary of the different days (they were ALL hard), we’d like to share with you in detail how amazing our 2 rest days have been in Victoria Falls… 

So here are the diary entries for those two days, and for more detail on the other days, click here!

Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday, 11, 12 April 

It all started out simply enough. We had come across from Zambia with fellow South Africans Craig Tingle and Nick Marr for a bit of lunch at the beautiful 5-star Victoria Falls Hotel. The views down the gorge are breathtaking, the food excellent, and the history and quiet opulence of this historic hotel simply envelops you.

With lunch down the hatch and thankfully paid for by Mr Tingle’s surprise work bonus, we all started to wonder what it would cost to stay a night. We guessed it would be in the region of $250 to $500 a night, so in order to settle the debate, we inquired at reception. 

After a bit of smooth talking, and an explanation of why we looked as haggard as we did, the receptionist said we would qualify for a regional rate. With our curiosity tipped, Bruce and I then ventured further with some more bargaining talk and got the lovely Mavis down to $155 a night per person, including breakfast.

Bruce and I exchanged looks, came to the exact same conclusion, and promptly pulled out our Visa Cards and booked two rooms for the night. 

What a sight to behold… These two dirty, hairy South Africans, with absolutely no luggage or change of clothes for the night, being escorted by the porter down the thick-carpeted halls of the Victoria Falls Hotel to rooms 35 and 36. 

Other guests looked at us with a confused air of arrogance. However, the looks would get a little more judging when Bruce took an evening swim in the pool in just his boxers because he didn’t have a costume of course, and we got even dirtier looks the next morning when we pitched up to breakfast in the very same dirty clothes. Needless to say, we couldn’t abide by the smart-casual dress code after 4.30pm, I mean we couldn’t even brush our teeth! 

But for our weary bodies, the $155 splurge was well worth it. I had a hot bath. I put on a dressing gown (because I didn’t have any other clothes), I watched some TV and fell into a deep sleep which didn’t involve getting up in the middle of the night to kill mozzies or other creatures in my tent. 

Room service woke me up with filter coffee at 7.30pm and the breakfast buffet was heavenly and expertly managed by us so that lunch wasn’t even needed later that Easter Sunday. 

And having had either oats or mielie meal for the last three months, we felt we needed to share our breakfast feast with you in detail, so here it is:

• Every fresh fruit imaginable and the best yoghurt we’ve ever tasted
• Chocolate croissants and mini hot cross buns
• English scones and chocolate breadsticks
• Fresh farm butter and crepes
• Pork sausages, honey-glazed ham, boerewors, eggs anyway you wanted them, bacon
• A selection of cold meats and a cheese platter… 
• And to top it all off, we drank the Champagne that was on offer!!!

Breakfast was followed by more sunbathing by the pool and eventually a massage in the spa. With a heavy heart and relaxed body, we checked out at 12.30pm (2.5 hours later than we should have), and headed to the Falls where we got drenched and giggled like schoolgirls.

It was all an epic and extravagant adventure, but exactly what we needed to lift our spirits for the final stretch and long days ahead!

By the time you read this we will be riding through Botswana where some long, flat days await us, as well as the dreaded longest day of the Tour at 207km! 

On the fundraising front for Hebron School in the Eastern Cape we’re getting closer to our target of R180 000 needed to build and equip two new classrooms, but with some R50,000 still needed we really need you all to please spread the word and get a colleague, friend or family member to donate just a R100.

Click here for our daily diary and click here for our photo galley! If you wish to donate, please click here.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Tim and Bruce have just passed the 6,000km mark in their cycle race from Cairo to Cape Town to raise funds to build 2 rural classrooms in the Eastern Cape. Here is there latest report back:

Highlights Nairobi to Iringa, Tanzania:

8 March to 19 March

Distance: 973km

Highlights: R126,000.00 raised so far!!!

Wow, have the last 11 days been a roller-coaster of an adventure! Trucks broke down, the rain and mud came, riders crashed on what can only be called the Tour’s Black Wednesday, and the beautiful country of Tanzania captivated us.

Two day’s riding out of Nairobi saw us cross over into Tanzania where we relished three day’s of rest in the tourist town of Arusha, which is also the halfway point in time of our journey from Cairo to Cape Town.

It was a magical three days spent sightseeing and touring the surrounding area and town with the Gane parental unit and their somewhat underpowered rental car. A night was spent in a lodge on the rim of the Ngororo Crater, a world heritage site, and a place so beautiful and packed with such an abundance of wildlife that the unforgettable gamedrive the next morning really felt like the old sayng of “shooting fish in a barrel”. We saw it all… Herds upon herds of sturdy Buffalo, Lions, Cheetahs, Elephants, Rhino, and the list goes on and on…. For anyone that doesn’t have the Crater on their to-do list, put it on now!

After our wildlife buffet at the Crater, we spent a night in Arusha, eating bacon for breakfast and then exploring the vibrant market life before pushing on to the town of Marangu, which nestles in lush banana plantations on the foothills of Kilimanjaro. After days of not seeing the mountain as we rode from Kenya, that evening we were treated to a first-class view of her snow-capped Uhuru Peak as the clouds lifted while we sipped on ‘Kilimanjaro Lager’ – naturally of course!

After a beautiful morning walk to the Ndoro Waterfalls in Marangu we headed back to Arusha. Here we readied ourselves and our bikes for seven days of off-road riding which took us from Arusha to the capital city Dodoma, and then finally to our rest stop, Iringa, a beautiful and peaceful town surrounded by thick green bush and rocky outcrops.

In that week of riding, it rained on four of the days, turning many of the dirt-road sections into fun, muddy sections. The rain, however, also makes camping not-so-much-fun, and after a few consecutive days of packing up wet, smelly tents and clothes, you tend to get a little “over it”.

Smelly tents and swarms of mosquitoes aside, the riding from Arusha to Iringa has been absolutely spectacular and we were actually very lucky in that the rain was never monsoon-in-nature as it so often can be at this time of year, and if you’re ever in Tanzania, we’d highly recommend you take a 4×4 and do the exact same route just for scenery sake.

While we were lucky to an extent with the rain, the Tour hit an unlucky patch. The one support truck suffered breakdown after breakdown, which meant on some days we sat in the middle of the bush waiting for our bags and food for as long as six hours on some days, making a long day in the humid heat an even longer one.

This bit of annoyance however was nothing compared to the day of unlucky accidents in which four riders had to be patched up to varying degrees. Bruce took a spectacular fall on loose rocks, leaving his right-side and arm pretty banged up but not bad enough to end his day’s ride.

Paul Porter, also an EFI rider and a helluva competitor was not so lucky. He fell in a similar manner to Bruce and also injured his right side and arm, however, luck was not on his side that day. We patched him up as best we could with our first-aid kits on the road, but it became apparent quite quickly that the blood would not stop and he would need proper medical attention. He was rushed to hospital in Iringa in the runabout Landrover and we discovered that evening his Tour was finished and he would need surgery to repair a broken arm and deeply lacerated vein in his arm.

It was an incredibly sad moment to hear that this seriously tough man, who had been through so much to keep his EFI status, was now making plans to return home for surgery, all because he just fell awkwardly after seeing a ditch a bit too late.

Bruce’s and Paul’s crash in particular also brought home the realisation that after 6000km in the legs, we still have a long way to go to Cape Town, and we simply need to enjoy each day at a time.

By the time you read this, we would have pushed on from Iringa and headed for Malawi where more adventure no doubt awaits us! Thanks to some large donations we have now raised R126 000 of the R180 000 needed to build Hebron School in the Eastern Cape two much-needed classrooms, and we thank all those who continue to spread the word to friends and family about our fundraising drive. View our website here.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Those coffee-making mavens, Dave Donde and Joel Singer of Origin Coffee, have widened their beverage obsession to include tea with the launch of Nigiro Tea last week.

The Nigiro Teahouse (think tranquil Japanese temple rather than clotted cream scones and overdrawn tea with milk in an English seaside town) is located in Origin Coffee, in Cape Town’s Cape Quarter.

What really appeals to me is that this is intended to be a calm, restful, meditative experience, rather than a frenetic dash in, dash out, with your mug gripped in your hand. The idea is to spend up to an hour on the Japanese tea ceremony, led by Mingwei Tsai – I guess you’d call him the Emperor of Tea. Alternatively snack on some dim sum and enjoy a tea of your choice.

Mingwei himself points out Cape Town’s historical link with tea – all the tea being brought to Europe by sea from the East would have passed through the Cape of Good Hope. And of course South Africa is home to its own unique Rooibos tea – Mingwei calls it Golden tea, which does have a nice ring to it.

As for the tea itself… I have a word of warning.  Just like with Origin’s coffee, don’t drink this tea unless you want every other tea drinking experience in your life to be ruined forever. I mean this. It’s extremely annoying.

Who knew tea could taste so fresh and delicate and flavoursome, without a hint of the tannins that we think are par for the course with the normal dunked, garden-variety tea served up around the country. This was more like a wine tasting than a tea party!

Teas are sourced from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Argentina, Kenya, Germany, Malawi and South Africa and include white, green, oolong & black teas, as well as Rooibos, herbal & Joel’s specially iced fruit infusions. I loved the spiced Rooibos – which I think is going to become a winter favourite.

You can also grab a cuppa Nigiro tea at the Mount Nelson, and both Nigiro tea and Origin Coffee is set to be on the menus at maze and Nobu in The One & Only Resort, currently being built in Cape Town.

PS I am really sorry about the heading, I couldn’t resist!

Popularity: 7% [?]

 Tim and Bruce are cyclying from Cairo to Cape Town in the Tour ‘d Afrique to raise funds to build 2 classrooms for a rural school in the Eastern Cape. So far they have raised R105,000.00 and need a further R75,000. You can view their website here or join their Facebook group here. Here is their account of their travels going into Kenya.

21 February, Day 38

100km Arba Minch to Proper Bush Camp

Just up the dry river bed from our tents linger some rather gaunt-looking cattle. Just down the river bed are some 40 goats in their makeshift kraal, built from impressive and very thorny acacia branches. We’re in proper Africa now, dirt roads, thorny bush and hungry-looking livestock and people. Absent from today’s ride were the angry stone-throwing kids, replaced thankfully by the more tribal herders, machetes and sickles in hand as they pushed on with their day’s arduous labour. As we ticked of the kilometres quickly today, so the sun would match us with increasing intensity, just enough to let us know that the next 6 days will be hot and testing riding conditions. Bring it….

22 February, Day 39

98km Proper Bush Camp to Yalabella Motel

Highlight: Just finishing

Today was proper tough. I haven’t been feeling well for more than five days now and today I felt worst of all. Previously my symptoms were a phlegmy cough, snotty nose and tight wheezy chest that burned whenever there was intense climbing. Nothing really to get too concerned about, only it just wasn’t going away. Well today was different, my chest felt better, but now I had diarrhea, intense stomach cramps, hot flushes, I had the shakes and no appetite – I just felt awful… Stubborn as can be, although also knowing my only limitations, I decided to cycle the day knowing if need be, I could jump in one of the trucks… 

Hang on… another toilet break…

Tim was great, he cycled slowly with me for the first few hours over the fast rolling hills with the whole day on dirt roads, even stopping with me for a pit stop en route. We knew today was a very long 45km climb (1000m elevation gain) so when the climb started I stopped, waved Tim by, plugged in my music and grinded out the very, very long climb. It was a difficult road surface as it wasn’t possible to get into a rhythm due to the stones, soft sand and ruts. The climb seemed to take forever, especially the very steep last section. I was in the granniest of granny gears and I had been slipping up the steep section when suddenly I was plunging down towards the town of Yalabela as I’d summated the hill and started descending. 

Today was simply a head down and graft day (“vas byt” as they say in Afrikaans), only a few people made the end so much so that Tim was the 2nd place rider and I was 3rd in the race.  People were struggling so much that despite me going slowly, helping a friend change her tyres after both went flat at the same time, no lunch as I had no appetite and 3 toilet breaks, I still managed to come 3rd. People here are dropping like flies, almost everyone is either sick or recovering from being sick. In two days time we reach Kenya and the hope of nothing other than better sanitary conditions.

23 February, Day 40

128km Yalabella Motel to Groto Camp

Highlight: Sprice – a mix of tea and coffee in a single cup… a little weird, but quite tasty

I had high hopes of starting my blog with a report back on my first solid number 2 in days, but alas I was a little over optimistic due to my toilet-stop free ride today… oh well, perhaps tomorrow. I apologise if that’s a little vulgar, but that’s what life’s like on tour. After a few months you’ve gotten to know everyone quite well, so there are no more light conversational chats about family, jobs and home life, instead there are detailed descriptions of number 2’s, and whether or not you trust your colon enough to fart.

Tomorrow we leave Ethiopia and enter Kenya… WHOOOOOOO HOOOOOO! 

I have so many mixed emotions about Ethiopia. Without a doubt my worst experiences of the Tour have been here – from the stone-throwing kids, the bouts of illness, the endless steep hills, the shear number of people, etc. However, in the very same breath, my best experiences of the Tour have also happened in Ethiopia, from running into John and meeting Fatima and Mista, to the lady near Addis Ababa performing the traditional coffee ceremony, to a most memorable 27th birthday in Addis Ababa, to the many, many macchiatos, the layered fruit juices (something I want to make after returning as a civilian), to the accomplishment felt after climbing the Blue Nile Gorge and high fiving at the end to the seemingly endless struggle that was the Yalabella hill whilst quite ill.  

The scenery has been pretty, but not amazing Africa, as so much of the land has been cultivated and all wild life killed off for farming and grazing. The people are a nightmare, invading your personal space and endlessly staring at these crazy ‘Forangi’s’ (Ahmeric for foreigner) on shiny bikes, but the individual people we’ve met in coffee shops, bars, restaurants etc have all been unbelievably friendly and hospitable. The people stare, in fact I think we’re the entertainment for the night as the entire village comes down to watch the circus act as these weird looking white gypsies build their homes in minutes from a small bag, but that‘s all, they just stare.  

Rarely thieving (my leather man being an exception) or harassing, etc. It’s frighteningly disappointing to see a place were the people have only ever been given the proverbially fish and have become completely reliant on the handout, rather than being taught how to fish and able to sustain themselves. As a result every Ethiopian that sees us puts out their hands waiting for a handout, it’s just so sad. Our resolve that the only sustainable way to improve ones quality of life is through education has been strengthened by our visit here. Ethiopia has been… well Ethiopia. Challenging, arduous, but rewarding in a way that took 3 weeks to recognise. Ethiopia has left an indelible mark on me, one I’ll never forget. I feel very blessed to have been here.  But I’m certainly ready to leave. 

24 February, Day 41

82km to the border town of Moyale and Kenya

Highlight: Bidding Ethiopia farewell

Warm greetings from Kenya! It’s funny how the slowest and sickest of all the cyclists just seemed to find that extra energy and positivity today to make it to the border in double time! As for us, we took our time, soaking up the last few kilometres of a country which was certainly a challenge in so many tough and wonderful ways. It was fitting that our last moments in Ethiopia were spent drinking coffee at a border hotel and chatting with a wonderfully intelligent young man, who took such a keen interest in us and our journey. 

Daniel was his name and his grasp of the English language was superb because as he told us, he spent many an hour reading English novels and cross-checking them with a big dictionary when he stumbled across words he didn’t understand. His warmness, friendship, and explanation of the uneducated kids was the perfect way to bid Ethiopia farewell. 

Kenya – where we will encounter the toughest ‘roads’ imaginable from tomorrow. Mentally and physically we’re up for the challenge, however there is some trepidation lurking in the wings as we’ve been forewarned that the strongest rider 2 years ago – Kenya was skipped last year due to the political violence – averaged only 12km/h on one of the 90km stages. So, in preparation for the tough day’s ahead, we’re taking extra special care of the bikes and bums which are a bit tender from the past few days. In case you didn‘t know, extra special treatment of the buttocks entails layering on Bepathenen or Fissan paste (normally used for a baby’s nappy rash) each and every night, first thing in the morning, and even during the day while riding!

25 February, Day 42

80km Moyale to Sololo

Highlight: Braaied steak – great big pieces!

Wow, what a 24hrs it’s been. Soon after writing yesterdays blog we were able to get our phone to work (+61403971780 in case you wanted to call or sms) and phoned home. Chatting to friends and family was like food for the soul and it meant the world to us after nearly a month of little to none voice contact. 

Today’s ride was quite easily the ride of the tour! The dirt road was very poor but extremely enjoyable to cycle on – finally our mountain bikes are paying off. There were some ruts, soft sand and lots of corrugations, but the surface remained intact and meant for fun riding as you needed to choose a good line and always stay on the ball. 

The scenery finally looked African with thickish bush and we even saw some game, vulturin guinea fowl, baboons, dik-dik’s and many more. For the first time since before Khartoum we got a tailwind, which meant that the day’s ride flew by, in the end we got to camp at round 11am, arriving even before the trucks. As a result we passed the time outside a local shop drinking warm cokes and smoky tea. Dinner was a massive piece of beef steak with pasta salad – it was simply out of this world and topped off with a sunset not to be forgotten. Kenya… I think I’m going to like this place!

Today we got off lightly though, the road could well have been in worse condition and the wind played a massive role in speeding up the day’s riding, but tomorrow is meant to be a different kettle of fish. Tomorrow we hit the lava rocks… it’s said to be seriously tough, hot and no shade at all… one revolution at a time and we’ll make it.

26 February, Day 43

80km Sololo to Lava Rock Camp

Highlight: Cracked ribs and nothing else

I remember the rushing sound of air and then the dull thump of the boulder as it slammed into my back. Next I remember lying on my side, not being able to breathe, and people scurrying about me, shouting “don’t move!”. It had been a tough day’s ride – so bad were the roads that a few of us had actually beaten the one support truck to the dreaded Lava Rock camp – a desolate wasteland with volcanic rocks and boulders all over the place, and no trees for shade at all in the searing heat. To help with the respite from the heat, a tarpaulin for shade had been erected from the side of the one run-about vehicle, and to secure the tarpaulin to the ground, the tarpaulin had been tied and anchored to a large volcanic boulder. 

As we all sat huddled under the tarpaulin, swapping war-stories about the day’s terrible road conditions, a dust-devil came from nowhere and whipped the tarpaulin from our heads. As the tarpaulin flew, so did it’s heavy anchor, and I just happened to be in it’s path!

It’s hard to describe the force at which it hit me, but needless to say I cried out in pain while I still had some air in my lungs. As I came around, I heard Alex the paramedic asking me where it hurt. I remember wiggling my toes before I motioned that it had hit me on my upper back, luckily on the right hand side and not dead centre on my spine. Slowly but surely I began to move and sit up. My lungs were checked and given the all clear. I was as white as a sheet and faint from the shock of it all, but considering what could have been had I or someone else been sitting at a different angle or level, I was incredibly lucky to get away with just cracked ribs. 

As the day wore on and the painkillers kicked in, I began to feel a bit better. My right side was incredibly sore and breathing deeply was a no-go due to the pain, but I was just thankful it hadn’t been someone’s head in the way of the flying boulder. 

As I lay resting up in the truck, Bruce sorted the tents out among the lava rocks as dark clouds built in the distance – the day wasn’t over yet and we were in for a treat – our very first storm. The rain was a mixed blessing. It washed away the thick, hanging heat of the lava rock dessert as well as the dirt and grime from our bodies as took the opportunity to ‘shower’ in the rain. No sooner were we clean, that we realised the ferocious storm was turning our campsite into a mud-bath. The short-lived joy of being clean and cool was quickly replaced panic mode of securing tents, digging trenches and trying as best we could to keep our bags dry. There was a brief respite as dinner was served, but then it came down again. 

Bruce ducked to his tent to eat while I simply stood in the rain shovelling damp food into my mouth. By this stage of the evening my whole right side was in agony and I simply did not have the energy to move anywhere. By 6.30pm the rain still hadn’t let up and both of us were in our tents, although Bruce’s resembled more of a dam than a tent. I climbed into my rain gear, popped more painkillers and was out like a light. It had been one helluva day!

27 February, Day 44 

86km Lava Rock Camp to Marsabit

Highlight: Just finishing with a rest day tomorrow

What a day! After last night’s torrential downpour we emerged from our soaked tents and waded through the mud for breakfast. There simply was no way to clean the thick clay mud off anything, as a result we simply packed away our tents mud and all, and got on our bikes. Tim was sore from yesterday’s boulder incident, but was still up for the day’s riding, mainly because he knew it would be as painful riding in the trucks as it would on his bike. We’d been told that today was tough and they didn’t lie. 

It’s hard to decide which was tougher, the smallish stones, the soft sand, the severe corrugations, deep gullies or the jagged rocks that seem to stop you dead in you tracks – all of these road surfaces were seriously difficult to negotiate and encountered often in long stretches, but for me the toughest part of the day was the strong cross/head wind which either blew you across the road or brought you to a grinding halt. Finally our bikes shone. The front forks were worth their weight in gold and the thick nobbly tyres outstanding. The two of us went well in the race, so well in fact that I ended up with our first stage win and Tim, despite said boulder incident and cracked ribs came in 3rd. 

I think it’s a telling stat that after the toughest rest day to rest day stretch on what could quite easily be one of the toughest days on Tour the two of us prevailed leaving the other racers in our wake (the 2nd place rider was a sectional rider hence doesn’t have 4500km on his legs so we discount him). It was an emphatic victory even to the sectional rider. 

The path into camp included a steady climb up to the top of a volcanic crater. In the short 86km from our desolate desert lava rock home this morning, we’ve ended up in a lush forest environment with grass and wildlife. The view into the crater was fantastic though not admired with full justice due to the racing and endless need to look at the path in front due to the difficult conditions.

Camp is set between large trees with lawn. We immediately set out our tents wide open without fly sheets in an attempt to dry them after last nights rain. Also drying thermo-rests and various items of clothing. We then proceeded to our bucket shower – simply a bucket of water used to clean yourself. Suddenly the rain arrived before we’d completely setup our tents with fly sheets or removed the items from the line… hence everything is still wet… hopefully tomorrow the sun shines brightly.

Popularity: 10% [?]